Means for attaching electric socket plugs to electric cords



c. A. WENDEL 2,774,948

MEANS FOR ATTACHING ELECTRIC SOCKET PLUGS TO. ELECTRIC CORDS Dec. 18, 1956 Filed Nov. 22, 1954 II/I Clifford Q4. Wendel MEANS FOR'ATTACHING ELECTRIC SOCKET PLUGS TO ELECTRIC CORDS My invention relates to improvements in means for attaching plugs for electric outlet sockets to the'sheaths of electric cords.

By way of premise, and as is well known, electric cords are usually attached to the socket plugs solely by connecting the lead wires in the cord sheaths to the terminals of the contact prongs of the plugs, and such socket plugs according to common practice are pulled from the sockets by pulling on the cords Which frequently results in pulling the lead wires loose from the contact prongs or breaking said wires at the connection to the contact prongs so that the connections must be repaired.

Having the foregoing in mind, the primary object of my invention is to provide such plugs with means thereon through which the cords may be freely inserted for attaching the lead wires to the contact prongs and which may then be securely attached to the sheaths by contraction of the same against said sheaths so that pull on the cords will be transmitted to the plugs directly and not to the lead wires, and consequently such pull will not damage the connection of the lead wires to the contact prongs.

Another object is to provide means for the above purposes comprising a tubular resilient, contractile handle on the plug through which the electric cord may be inserted for attachment of the lead wires to the contact prong terminals, and which embodies attaching means including a bendable internal core adapted to be contracted and deformed by compression to grip the cord sheath.

Other and subordinate objects, together with the precise nature of my improvements will become apparent when the following description and appended claims are read with reference to the accompanying drawing.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective of an electric plug equipped with my improved handle attached to the electric cord sheath;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the plug and handle detached from the sheath;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in transverse section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view in horizontal section taken on a line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged view in transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged view in transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an enlarged view in longitudinal section taken on a line 77 of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is an enlarged view in perspective of the core;

Figure 9 is an enlarged view in perspective of a modified form of the core; and

Figure 10 is an enlarged view in transverse section taken through the handle and modified form of core and showing the handle attached to an electric cord sheath.

United States Patent 2,774,948 Patented Dec. 1 8, 19 56 'icc Referring to the drawing by numerals, and first to Figures 1 to 8, according to the embodiment of'my invention illustrated therein, the conventional electric plug 1 carrying the usual front contact prongs 3 towhich the lead wires 5 of an electric cord 7, in this instance a flat cord, are connected in the conventional manner, illustrated in Patent No. 1,772,261, is provided on the rear side thereof with a tubular handle forming sleeve 9 for attachment to the cord 7 and which is sufliciently long for grasping by a hand and extends rearwardly and axially from the electric plug 1. The sleeve 9 is formed of resilient material compressible to deform the same, preferably of rubber, and is preferably, although not necessarily, attached to a hard rubber composition electric plug 1 by molding the plug and sleeve as a unit. The sleeve 9 may be otherwise suitably attached to an electric plug formed of plastic, or other hard material.

An internal, hollow, skeleton core 11 for the sleeve 9 is provided therein comprising a pair of transversely split annular bands 13 connected in coaxial relation by a pair of opposite flat cross bars 15 extending between confronting edges of said bands. The core 11 is embedded in the inner circumference of the sleeve 9 to secure the same therein by molding said sleeve around the core and with the bands 13 adjacent opposite ends of said sleeve 9, and the inner surface of said core 11 is substantially flush with said inner circumference.

Preferably, the outer surface of the core 11 is knurled, as at 17, for bonding to the sleeve 9 and has the inner surface thereof also knurled, as at 19, for gripping engagement with the sheath 21 of the cord 14 in a manner presently clear.

In the embodiment described in part in the foregoing, the core 11 is formed of bendable metal and the bands 13 before attachment are circular and the ends thereof at the splits 23 are spaced apart so that said bands 13 and bars 15 hold the sleeve 9 distended into substantially circular form, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, at least at the ends thereof with the bars 13 and ends of the sleeve 9 arranged so that the ends of the sleeve 9 are slightly larger in diameter than the cord 7 so that the cord may he slipped through the core 11 and sleeve 9 for attachment of the lead wires 5 to the contact prongs 3.

After the cord 7 is slipped through the sleeve 9 and the core 11, the band-s 13 are compressed by squeezing the same either by hand, or with pincers, or by hammering the sleeve opposite said bands to close the splits 23 and deform said bands 13 to fit conformably around the sheath 21 of the cord 7 into friction gripping engagement therewith. This contracts and deforms the core 11 so that the bars 15 conformably fit against the opposite sides of the sheath 21 and the sleeve 9 is permitted to contract also into friction gripping relation to the sheath 21, all as shown in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7. Thus the handle forming sleeve 9 is attached to the elastic cord 7 both by the sleeve 9 and the core 11.

If desired, the inside of the sleeve 9 and the core 11 may be coated with a suitable adhesive, not shown, for additional attaching purposes. However, it is preferred that the core 11 and the, sleeve 9 be attached to the sheath 21 of the cord 7 by friction gripping engagement therewith solely and in this connection it is to be noted that the roughened inner surface 19 of the core 11 will bite into the sheath 21 to securely hold said core and sleeve to said sheath so that the sheath cannot be pulled out of the sleeve 9.

In the modified form of the invention as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the handle forming sleeve, designated 25, is shown as attached to a round electric cord 27, the sleeve 25 and the core, designated 29, are the same as in the previously described form except that the split ends 31 of the bands 33 overlap for contracting of the bands and the core. Otherwise, the sleeve 25 is attachedin the same manner as the sleeve 9.

The foregoing will, it is believed, sufiice to impart a clear understanding of my invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention is susceptable of modification, without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to suchmodifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. Means, for attaching an electric socket plug to an electric cord comprising a handle forming sleeve adapted for attachment at one end to said plug and for extension of an electric cord therethrough, said sleeve having a hollow core of bendable material secured therein and adapted to surround said cord, said core being deformable by compression into permanently flattened shape for friction gripping engagement with said cord.

2. Means according to claim 1, said core comprising a pair of annular bands adjacent opposite ends, and bars cross connecting said bands, said bands being transversely split to provide spaced ends engageable by compression of the bands to contract the core.

3. Means according to claim 1, said core comprising a pair of annular bands adjacent opposite ends of the sleeve, and bars cross connecting said bands, said bands being transversely split and having overlapping ends for compression of the bands to contract said core;

4. Means according to claim 2, said sleeve being resilient for contraction tofrictionally engage the cord.

5. Means according to claim 2, said bands and bars being .knurled for gripping an electric cord. 1

References Cited'in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,291,434 Hollopeter July 28, 1942 2,445,033 Mettz July 13, 1948 2,653,884 Hussey Sept. 29, 1.953 

